The Sunshine Shack on Rendezvous Bay has somehow become a ritual for my family during their visits. The beach is pristine, the food and cocktails keep everyone fueled, and Garvey, the proprietor, has a personality and smile that make you feel right at home. With a day off duty, I loaded up the car with towels, a raft (for grandma), sunscreen and reading materials, and took my grandmother and dad down to the beach.

My grandmother is 88 years old so walking down a sandy beach isn’t quite as easy as it once was. She’s still a trooper but long distances in the Caribbean heat can be a daunting task. During her last visit I discovered how useful a simple raft was: I’d walk her down to the water, have her hold on to the raft and swim her down the beach to our final destination. During her first visit to Anguilla (about a year ago), she confessed to me that it had been a long, long time since she’d taken a dip in the sea. The last time she’d recalled being in was 1951 (seriously), so naturally her swimming ability hasn’t been honed. Again, raft to the rescue.

After a float, we found a cozy slice of sand on the beach to settle in, enjoy a beach read and order lunch. If you’re looking for a great local experience, Garvey does it right: armed with a grill, a bar and a blender, he serves up ribs, chicken and fish alongside of ice cold Caribs and frozen concoctions. I’m not sure how a day gets more perfect.

Shannon Kircher is the founder and editor of The Wanderlust Effect, formerly The Traveling Scholar. Founded in 2009, she has continued to document her international escapes as an expat in Europe and the Caribbean. She is a former resident of London and San Francisco and now calls the island of Anguilla home. In addition to The Wanderlust Effect, Shannon is the Director of Marketing for the Frangipani Beach Resort and is on the Board of Directors of the Omololu International School in Anguilla.

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About Me

Shannon Kircher

Welcome and thank you for joining along for my adventures. I began documenting my travels in 2009 on my former site, The Traveling Scholar, and six years later transitioned my globetrotting experiences here as I continue to juggle traveling the world with enjoying a full-time career in hospitality on the Caribbean island of Anguilla. I hope you find inspiration, information and insight in my corner of the world. My name is Shannon and this is my never-ending journey.